


The Sacrifices We Make

by celestial_nights



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Mountain gods!Seongsang, Sad Ending, actually idk if it’s a sad ending, but it isn’t super happy either, druid!Yunho, human!mingi, no beta we die like men, teen for swearing, theres violence but its only at the beginning and i’m not really sure if its major or minor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:47:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24271573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestial_nights/pseuds/celestial_nights
Summary: “Are you sure you are willing to lose everything for a human?”“I’m not losing anything if he stays alive,”
Relationships: Jeong Yunho/Song Mingi
Comments: 14
Kudos: 46





	The Sacrifices We Make

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Welcome to my first angst AU! This was heavily inspired by fan art made by [Noriimorii](https://twitter.com/Noriimorii) on Twitter! Check it out [here!](https://twitter.com/noriimorii/status/1260603908398870531?s=21)
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Everything was going so well. They were winning, their enemies were falling and their men stood strong. Swords clashing against swords were heard, many cried out in pain as they would get pierced by the sharp object, usually the cry coming from an enemy. But this time, the cry sounded familiar; sounded too close to home. 

Yunho snapped his head and was met with his love, Mingi, a sword pushed through his chest. Crimson red blood seeped into Mingi’s clothes and that was all Yunho needed before his own vision turned red. The green haired boy sprinted, his gem eye glowing a dangerous green. A yell, a cry, and a grunt was heard but Yunho didn’t care for that as he plunged a knife into the heart of Mingi’s attacker, leaving the attacker dead and laying on the ground. 

Mingi fell to his knees in shock, as he looked at the sword through his chest. His hands were shaking as it neared the blade, unable to accept the reality of a sword in his chest. Soon enough, the red head felt himself in Yunho’s arms, familiar green eyes entering his vision. Mingi felt Yunho grip on the sword’s handle, quickly pulling it out. A pained gasp escaped Mingi’s mouth followed by blood rising from his throat, choking him. Yunho had to act fast because to put it simply—

Mingi was dying. 

“I love you, so much Yunho.” Mingi gasped out, his bloody hand finding its way to Yunho’s cheek; wet with tears. Mingi had accepted it. Accepted the fact that he was dying, dying in the arms of the love of his life. The pain was too much for him, the shock wearing off and leaving him with reality. Mingi took in Yunho’s beautiful green eyes before his own eyes closed, wanting his last memory to be that of the love of his life. 

“You are not dying on me Song Mingi. Listen to me!” Yunho cried out as Mingi lost consciousness. Quickly, Yunho ripped cloth from his tunic and held it against the dying man’s chest, where blood continued to flow out. His eyes glowed green as he performed a healing enchantment on Mingi. Tears continued to flow from his eyes as his chanting became more desperate. Action continued on behind them but thank the gods no enemy came close to them, their men making sure the enemies didn’t step near them. 

Yunho noticed the bleeding stop and saw that the patch of skin was completely sealed, thanks to the enchantment Yunho did, but there was a problem. Mingi’s heartbeat was incredibly faint, too subtle for it to be healthy. Yunho knows, deep down, that his own magic isn’t enough to save his love but he keeps his head above water. Carrying Mingi on his back, Yunho set out to his cottage in the woods. 

As the green eyed boy ran through the woods, many questions entered his head. What went wrong? How did that enemy get a clean hit on Mingi? Where the hell was Mingi’s partner? Scenarios and what if’s drifted around his mind and before he noticed it, they were at his cottage. Yunho laid Mingi down on the cot and immediately got to work, Mingi’s faint heartbeat etched into his mind. 

Yunho got his mortar and pestle from his shelf, grabbing some herbs as he rushed around, not caring what he knocked over. It was his love’s life on the line, so what if a couple of pots broke? Once the paste was at an adequate consistency, Yunho spread it all over Mingi’s chest, right where his heart laid. Rubbing the paste in circles, the green eyed boy muttered incantations hoping it would make the mixture more efficient. 

Even after all that, Mingi’s heartbeat remained the same. Faint, barely there, and weakening with every passing moment. 

“No, no, no, NO!” Yunho yelled out in frustration, a burst of magic escaping him, shaking up the entire cottage. He dropped the mortar and pestle on the ground and rushed to his potions room. Tears built up in his eyes as he rummaged through his cabinets. Mingi was not dying today, not if Yunho can help it. Glass bottles clicked against each other, the liquid inside sloshing around. Different liquids spilled across his countertop as he hurriedly mixed them together, trying to make the perfect concoction to heal the red head. 

Yunho carried the bowl over to Mingi and slipped the liquid into the sleeping man’s lips, hoping that it would help. Moments passed and hope rose throughout Yunho’s body, thinking that his potion was working.

Mingi started coughing, his body rejecting the mixture. 

“FUCK!” Yunho brought his hand over Mingi’s chest and felt for the liquid in his body. Once he had a grasp on it, he directed it out of the red head’s body and threw it out his window; not wanting to hurt Mingi any further. Mingi stopped coughing but his body was still weak, his heart still slow. Yunho laid his head down as he thought of anything, anything at all, that can save Mingi. 

There were whispers of gods in the forest, living in the mountains and willing to grant wishes to those who found them. These gods aren’t the most selfless though, all wishes come with a price. The price depends on the severity and weight of the wish. A good harvest in preparation for the cold months? Three sacks of harvest. A wish to heal someone? A sentimental object would be needed. 

That’s how Yunho lost his eye, replaced with a green gem. 

This wasn’t Mingi’s first dance with death. No, there was a time, when they were both teenagers, when Mingi was dead. Heart no longer beating and oxygen no longer entering his lungs. Yunho knew of the gods in the forest and he took the risk, carrying Mingi on his back until he found the gods. He wished for Mingi to come back to life, for his heart to start beating again and for blood to continue running through his veins. The gods warned him of the dangers of such a wish. It was necromancy after all, magic that dealt with death and the dark arts. But Yunho didn’t care, he wanted Mingi back. 

And he did get Mingi back, but lost his eye in the process. 

But it’s okay, as long as Mingi was by his side. 

Now, Mingi wasn’t by his side. He was at the border, the border between life and death. Death’s outstretched hand ready to take Mingi for another dance on the other side. With every passing moment, Mingi walked closer and closer over to the other side. And Jeong Yunho was scared. His druid magic was simply not powerful enough to revive a dying man. Yunho was scared of losing Mingi, the love of his life and his partner since they were little.

Yunho raised his head, determination rushing through his entire body. He was going back to the mountain gods and he prayed that they could save Mingi. 

——

The mountain gods felt a disturbance in their area and quickly left whatever they were doing to investigate. Someone was in need of a wish. As they neared a clearing, they were greeted by Yunho, carrying an unconscious Mingi on his back, unshed tears in the druid’s eyes. 

As soon as the gods saw Mingi, they knew why Yunho had come to them. 

“We warned you,” Uttered the raven haired god. His dark brown eyes showed sympathy towards the two. 

“His heart has beat beyond it’s time, Yunho” The blonde god said, his electric gold eyes giving Yunho a sharp, calculative look.

“You cannot outrun the inevitable,”

Yunho was so exhausted. So incredibly tired. From the fight, from overusing his powers, from climbing all the way up this damn mountain. His eye showed how tired he was, the usual glow of his gem eye so faint, so subtle…

But Yunho would do it all again if it meant Mingi would stay safe. 

“Please, he doesn’t deserve this. I just need to make this right,” Tears fell from Yunho’s tired eyes. Mingi was still young, barely twenty-one years old. He had so much left to do, so much left to explore. He doesn’t deserve to die, to fall at the hands of an enemy they tried so hard to defeat. He deserves to live, to see what the word has to offer. To explore, to continue dreaming, to continue _living_. The two gods looked at each other, both unsure on whether or not to accept the wish. Finally, the raven haired god let out a sigh. 

“There’s one last thing we can do,” Yunho’s eyes lit up with hope and relief. Mingi was going to be okay, he was going to live and be happy. 

Mingi gets to have one last chance. 

“This is much more than an eye, Yunho. Much, much more,” The golden eyed god said, a wilting butterfly landing on the other god’s hand. “Are you sure you are willing to lose everything for a human?”

Yunho knew that wishes from the mountain gods aren’t exactly free, everything from them came with a price. He knew exactly what the gods were implying and he hated it. In order for Mingi to live, he had to give his life to nature. To become one with it and to serve it until his mundane life line was cut. 

Mingi would live, but without Yunho by his side. 

The green eyed boy looked over his shoulder and was met with Mingi’s sleeping face. The rise and fall of Mingi’s chest were rapid and shallow, as if his body had trouble taking in more oxygen. The sleeping boy’s heartbeat so, so faint now. There wasn’t much time left. Looking back at the gods, it was then that Yunho made his decision. 

“I’m not losing anything if he stays alive,” Determination was present in his voice, he was determined to save Mingi. Even if it means giving away his own life. In all the time Yunho has spent with Mingi, he only wished happiness for the other. He longed to see the big smile etched onto Mingi’s face and hated it whenever a frown appeared. Of course, sadness is inevitable in life but Yunho would do anything to make the other experience happiness. 

“Very well,” The brown eyed god let out a deep breath before letting go of the wilting butterfly, watching it surround Yunho and Mingi. Suddenly a swarm of those wilting butterflies surrounded the pair and Yunho felt his life force being dragged away, his magic being stolen and almost gone. Mingi gained consciousness and his heart started beating at the normal pace. The red haired boy looked around and saw the love of his life in front of him, crying. 

“Yunho? What’s happening?” Mingi asked, a heavy haze still clouding his mind. Yunho cried, he sobbed and let tears flow from his eyes as he let Mingi stand up. The druid placed both of his hands on Mingi’s cheeks, giving the other one last passionate kiss. _‘You’re alive, and you’re going to be okay. I promise’_ Yunho made a silent promise to Mingi as he rested his forehead on the other. 

“I love you so much, Song Mingi. No matter what happens, please don’t blame yourself. I’ll always be here okay?” Yunho’s gem eye slowly lost its glow and the skin holding it in place began to crack. Yunho looked into the red head’s eyes and saw so much love. 

“Yunho! What’s happening? Why are you speaking as if it’s our last goodbye?” Mingi was so confused. The last thing he remembered was being left alone in a dark room. Pure nothingness surrounded him and he felt so cold, so lonely and all he wanted was Yunho. Yunho’s warmth, Yunho’s laughter, Yunho’s love. Now the boy was here, right in front of him but he was speaking as if it was the last time they would see each other. 

Yunho didn’t have the heart nor the energy to explain so instead he gave Mingi one last forehead kiss, using the last of his powers to put him to sleep. He didn’t want the red head’s last memory of the druid to be seeing him turn into wood. Yunho wanted it to be one where he was alive and still made of skin and bone. 

Yunho felt his body weaken and then stiffen. He shed one last tear before he entered his long sleep. 

Muttering one last “I love you.”

——

“I found Mingi!” San yelled to his group. There he saw Mingi, sleeping and seemingly unharmed. 

“Is he okay?” Hongjoong asked as they neared San. It was night and their lanterns could only provide so much light in the dark forest. 

“I think so? I don’t see any injuries,” The group neared Mingi. They missed their leader so much. Their side won the fight, most of the enemies either killed or severely injured. Hongjoong was rounding everyone up and searching for his group members when he realized that Mingi and Yunho were missing. They spent all day looking for the pair, not knowing what happened to them and finally, they found one of them. Only that Yunho was still missing. 

“Uh, guys,” Wooyoung got the attention of the others and pointed a shaky finger to the piece of wood that Mingi was leaning on. As Wooyoung led his lantern closer to the wood, they could see a face and immediately recognized it as—

“Yunho,” Jongho gasped out. The rest of the group stared at Yunho with disbelief. The druid’s body is now completely wood and a part of the tree he was leaning back on. Branches and leaves already growing on him. One particularly large branch grew from his chest, where his heart once stayed, a firefly resting on the leaves. Yunho’s eyes were closed, a peaceful look settled on his face as if he was relieved. 

“What happened to them?” San wondered. Tears collected in Hongjoong’s eyes as he realized what happened.

“Yunho made a wish to the mountain gods,” Hongjoong said. Nothing more needed to be said as realization washed over them. Jongho let out a choked cry while San and Wooyoung continued to stare, unable to accept reality. Why would Yunho do that? Why would Yunho sacrifice his life? They won the battle, but they lost one of the most important people in their life. Wooyoung glanced at Mingi’s sleeping figure and saw a big red stain on his chest.

“It was to save Mingi,” Wooyoung spoke, his voice shaky and he was trembling with sadness. They saw Mingi collapse on the battlefield, a shimmer present in his body; unknown where Mingi was hit. San was going to run over and help Mingi, but Yunho was faster already healing Mingi. They thought that the pair were alright, that the injury was only minor so they continued on fighting with the impression their leader would be fine. 

“Yunho would rather let himself go than to let Mingi die,”

——

Mingi sat in front of his house, staring up at the stars, the moon bathing him in its light. It was a peaceful night and the cicadas weren’t making too much noise. A few months have passed since the incident, since Mingi almost died, since Yunho’s sacrifice, and Mingi missed the green eyed boy so dearly. He missed the other so much. In the beginning it was hard to accept, to accept that Yunho was gone, no longer by Mingi’s side. Sleepless nights and tearful days followed Mingi like a moth attracted to light and his friends did everything he could to be there for him. Hongjoong would be a shoulder to cry on, San would bring him food and tea as he would often forget to eat, Wooyoung took over his duties while he recovered, and Jongho, god bless Jongho, would be there to listen. He would just be there to quietly sit beside Mingi and listen to his ramblings, a word not escaping Jongho’s mouth. 

Now, a few months later, Mingi was feeling better. He had accepted that Yunho was gone and he left those sleepless nights and tearful mornings behind. Accepting Yunho’s death did not mean that Mingi forgot about the other. He would still often think of the druid, reminisce in the memories they shared. He would remember the other’s warm smile and kind, loving eyes. He would remember the beautiful laugh that left the druid’s throat if Mingi did something ridiculous. He would remember the first time they told each other “I love you” and the kiss that followed afterward. 

Even after all this time, only Yunho had a hold on Mingi’s heart and he felt as if that it would be like that forever. But the redhead didn’t mind, he can’t imagine himself falling for anyone else aside from Yunho. 

As Mingi got lost in his thoughts, he felt a presence with him. He lowered his head from the sky and saw that the courtyard was empty, save for a lone firefly. The firefly was flying in one spot, as if it was looking at Mingi. Its blinking light catching his attention. 

“I’ll always be here okay?” Yunho’s last words echoed in Mingi’s mind, as he focused on the firefly more. A constant reminder for Mingi. 

Mingi gave a kind and appreciative smile to the firefly. 

“I’m okay, thank you for everything,” after Mingi spoke, the firefly flew off. And it was true, Mingi was okay. 

His only wish was that Yunho was okay too. Happy and content, wherever the green eyed boy may be.

**Author's Note:**

> This was my first actual try on making an angst AU and I hope I did that genre justice asjdlaslhdhajslfhajl
> 
> Comments and kudos are always welcome and appreciated ♡ 
> 
> twitter: @foryeosangie
> 
> ps: take a shot of water every time i wrote “faint”


End file.
